Britney Spears - Toxic

A jolt of pure energy. The song’s thumping and vacillating beat is a fitting symbol of the toxic relationship it outlines, a relationship built upon the singer’s underlying hesitation regarding plunging into the gratification of an addictive romance. Hesitation, naturally, that is almost instantly overruled.

In other words, the fact that the beat is so energetic and rapidly shifts through a wide range of notes mirrors the addictive relationship at the heart of the song. This relationship, after all, is so addictive because it is exciting and energising, despite (and, really, also because) the singer fully knowing the true nature of their lover. The thumping energy of the beat therefore symbolises the rush of the romantic addiction, while the fact that it shifts back and forth between notes represents the doubts and reservations that the singer knows are entirely well-founded but actively suppresses.